It is commonly stated that the Royal Enfield ‘Flying Flea', like the Bantam, was a copy of the pre-war DKW RT125 (eg. see Oddjobs last month). It is not so, even though 'war reparations' did indeed deliver the DKW RT125 as the basis of its mirror image Bantam (to make it right hand footchange), and indeed early Japanese bikes, the DKW & IFA/MZs of course, a rash of Italian makers (including MV), and even the Harley-Davidson Hmmerowed their designs to DKW. But the idea can be overstated, as, for example, Villiers had a long historyi nt wostrokes and continued their own development line. Royal Enfield, although associated with four-strokes, had produced their 225cc twostroke in the 20s, and that engine continued into the 30s for their three-wheeled delivery vehicle. When…
